


Time For Change

by randomskittles



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Frottage, M/M, Suicide, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:40:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28219347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randomskittles/pseuds/randomskittles
Summary: Everyone has a timer for when they find their soulmate. Arthur has always known his soulmate is a sorcerer, thanks to being able to feel their emotions. When Arthur's timer is almost up, he decides to go meet them in the forest, away from his father. Only to come upon a man about to die.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 114
Collections: Round Table Gift Exchange 2020





	Time For Change

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sable_Nakahara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sable_Nakahara/gifts).



> Thanks to o.fugi over on discord (liviadrusilla42 on ao3) for being a beta. All additional mistakes are my own

Arthur wanted to get away from the castle. His soulmate timer was almost fully counted down, and if he was going to meet his soulmate, it wasn't going to be in Camelot because he already knew everyone that lived there. He needed to go hunt and clear his mind.

He could feel his soulmate's emotions, and he knew his soulmate had a lot of anguish, probably because they had magic and they were scared. 

Not all soulmates could feel the other's emotions, only those where one partner had magic. Arthur tried to project acceptance and calm, but he was terrified of what would happen when he met his soulmate. They had lately been feeling more and more distressed and it made Arthur think his soulmate would do something drastic.

In preparation for his hunt, Arthur went to the kitchens to ask the cook for a few days’ rations and packed a bedroll and some bandages in case he got hurt. Then he went to Tyr to ask him to get his horse ready, and then to his father to tell him he was going hunting. 

With everything ready, he went to the courtyard and reached out just as Tyr was leading his horse to the steps. Thanking him, Arthur mounted and galloped his horse through the deserted roads into the woods.

Five minutes left on his timer. Arthur was tracking a deer, distracting himself from the turmoil he could feel pouring from his soulmate, and almost had it in his sights when the deer startled and ran. Cursing, he started after it, trying to keep his eyes on it, not paying attention to his surroundings. However, it was too fast and was soon out of sight. 

Arthur stopped and looked at his wrist. One minute left. He was so nervous. Arthur started to head back to his horse when he heard someone cry out. He turned at once and followed the sound to a clearing he'd never seen before. There was a man in the clearing, bent over. Arthur couldn't see what he was doing but the man suddenly cried out again. 

Arthur's feet moved of their own accord to where he could see, and what he saw had him rushing forward just as the man fell over. Arthur got to him just in time to catch him and lay him gently on the ground. He wasn't conscious. The man had been cutting his wrists, straight lines along the veins. Arthur tried to hold the wounds closed, but he could feel the blood still seeping out. Arthur whistled for his horse, but he knew she wouldn't get there in time. 

Arthur looked at the man's face. This was his soulmate. He knew it in his bones. The man was tall and skinny — too skinny — with messy black hair. The man's eyes were closed and his breathing was shallow. Suddenly, the man's eyes opened and Arthur looked into the bluest eyes he'd ever seen, a darker shade than his own. 

"Let me go," the man said hoarsely. "I'm not worth it."

"Yes, you are," Arthur cried, tears streaming unchecked down his face.

"It's too late anyway." With that, the man's eyes closed again, and he gave a few struggling breaths before he stopped breathing altogether and went limp as Arthur watched. 

"No! No, I won't accept this. You can't leave me!" 

Arthur bent over, intending to breathe into the man's mouth, when suddenly the man started breathing again and opened his eyes. 

"What did you do!?"

"Nothing! I don't-" Arthur stopped when suddenly there was a golden light glowing at the man's wrists. It shone out brightly but somehow it didn't hurt his eyes. Just as quickly as it came, the light disappeared, leaving what looked to be week-old scars in place of the man's wounds. 

"Wha-" Arthur cleared his throat. "What was that?"

"I have magic," the man said. "I've always had it, ever since I was born. But it's never done anything against my will like this. Without permission, yes, but always things I wanted. I don't understand." 

"Well, of course you have magic. I already knew that, what with feeling your emotions all my life. I already have plans in place to help hide you from my father until I become King. But I didn't know it would heal you like that."

"Neither did I. I mean, it never has before. And what do you mean, when you become King? Who are you?" 

"I'm Arthur. Prince Arthur. My father is King of Camelot. What's your name?"

"I'm Merlin. Just Merlin. Of Ealdor." 

"Well _just_ Merlin, what do you say we head to Camelot and get to know each other better?"

"Umm. Alright. My mother was sending me to Camelot anyway, to Gaius."

"Gaius? The court physician?"

Merlin nodded. 

"Well alright then. Let's go." Arthur helped Merlin up and looked around for the first time since entering the clearing. It hit him that he had no idea where they were. "Shit." 

"What is it?" Merlin asked.

"I don't know where we are. I've never been here before." He looked up at the sky. "And soon, we won't have any light to find our way back."

"Alright. What do we do then? I mean, we can make camp here if you want."

Arthur sighed. "Let me see if I can at least find where I came in so we can head that way at first light." At that, Arthur went to the edges of the clearing, to look for any signs of where he'd come in, but somehow, all evidence that he'd come in from any direction had been wiped away. 

Arthur looked at Merlin, slightly panicked. "I have no idea. Somehow, there's no signs that anyone's been through here at all, even though we each had to get here somehow. Did your magic do something to erase it?"

"I don't know. It never has before — that I know of, anyway. But then, it's always doing things without my permission. It always has, since I was a baby." 

"Shit. We need to figure out where we are."

Suddenly, a figure appeared in the middle of the clearing. Both boys jumped, startled, and Arthur started to draw his sword until he saw it was a druid. 

"Hello Arthur, Emrys. My name is Iseldir. I am here to lead you to our camp. Come along, it's not far." 

The boys exchanged glances, and warily followed the man. 

Merlin, confused, asked, "I'm sorry, but why did you call me Emrys? That's not my name. I'm Merlin."

"Oh, but it is your name. In the prophecies."

Arthur butted in with, "Prophecies? What prophecies?"

"The prophecies of Emrys and the Once and Future King, of course."

Together, "What?"

"It will all be explained when we get to the camp. We're almost there. It's just through here." And the man swept his arm across to let them pass. 

They did, Arthur first, with his hand on his sword, ready to draw just in case it was an ambush, and Merlin following cautiously behind him. They came into a clearing with tents and cooking fires, druids milling about, and children running and playing. Once everyone saw the two boys, they all stopped and bowed.

Arthur, of course, thought this was his due, waved his hand, and said "As you were."  
There was a chuckle that rippled through the crowd, and then the man that had led them to the camp came up behind him and said, "It's not for you, Arthur. It's for Emrys."

Merlin blushed and Arthur looked confused. 

"Emrys is the most powerful sorcerer ever to walk the earth. It is his destiny to bring about the golden age of Albion with the Once and Future King. You are that King, Arthur."

Arthur looked at Merlin with awe. "The most powerful- wha- I'm-" he stuttered, and then snapped his mouth shut, looking dazed. 

Merlin, on the other hand, was saying, "But how can I be the most powerful? I don't even know any spells!" 

"You don't need spells, Emrys. Spells are a way to concentrate a sorcerer's power. You can already do that, I'm sure, when you really want to. However, spells can also teach you control. And that is what we brought you here for. We want to make you both an offer. But first, let's let you both wash up and eat supper. Then you can hear us out."

At that, two druid ladies came up and led them both off to a tent. Arthur's horse was standing just off to the side of it, with Arthur's pack attached to the saddle. The ladies, however, didn't stop and led both boys inside to show them a steaming hot bath and a bed. 

And then the ladies started undressing both boys. 

"Hey! Whoa! I can undress myself, thanks!"

Arthur laughed and said, "You're going to have to get used to people doing things for you if you're going to be my consort, Merlin."

At that, Merlin looked like he swallowed a lemon. Arthur laughed harder. 

Arthur looked at the ladies and said, "We can handle it from here, thank you." 

Both ladies looked disappointed, but left. Arthur could sympathize. He was trying not to show how turned on he was at seeing Merlin without his shirt, much less imagining how they were about to both be naked in the bath together. 

Arthur looked up to meet Merlin's eyes and suddenly the air felt very charged between them. Arthur found himself moving closer, his eyes drifting to Merlin's lips. And then, Arthur couldn't say who kissed who, but they were kissing. Explorative kisses that took Arthur's breath away. Arthur pulled Merlin into his arms, holding him against himself, wishing he could be closer. 

Merlin was clutching Arthur's arms, nails digging into the meat of his upper arms as he kissed back. 

Outside, Arthur's horse neighed and they both jumped apart, breathing heavily. Arthur cleared his throat. "Would you like to take turns? I can stand outside if you need. I don't-"

"Arthur. It's alright. It's not like you're not going to see it anyway at some point. You _are_ my soulmate." 

"Right. Well. Let's get in then, shall we?" 

With that, both boys, in silent agreement, turned their backs and undressed and quickly got into the tub. Arthur leaned against the side of the tub and Merlin settled in his lap. Arthur was able to reach the soap and wash rag on the nearby table, and set about wetting and lathering the rag. Then, he gently started washing Merlin's torso. Merlin turned his head towards Arthur and Arthur leaned forward, and their lips met again, in a slow, deep kiss. Arthur dropped the rag, but neither reached for it. Merlin turned completely, and Arthur moved to accommodate him, and suddenly, they were lined up, moving their erections against each other. Arthur reached a hand down and wrapped it around their lengths. Both of them moaned at the feeling. Merlin's hand came down as well, and they moved them together, gasping and moaning in each other's mouths. 

Arthur moved his mouth away from Merlin's lips, over to his ears, playing with the lobe, biting gently and sucking. From there, he moved to Merlin's neck, leaving bruises from his sucking kisses. Merlin was crying out, trying to move his hips with the rhythm. Arthur knew he was close. Arthur was close himself, right on the edge, but he wanted to see Merlin come first. Arthur pulled his face away to look at Merlin, lost in pleasure. He whispered, "You're so beautiful." Merlin groaned, and Arthur could feel Merlin's dick pulse against his, and that was all it took. White blanked out his vision, and he cried out, coming all over both their hands. 

When he came back to himself, Merlin's head was on his shoulder, face turned towards him, and he was breathing heavily. Arthur looked at him, and Merlin smiled lazily back up at him. Arthur kissed him gently. "Alright?" Merlin only smiled wider and gave a chuckle. Arthur looked down at the water and sighed, looking at Merlin again. "Do you think you could use your magic to clean the water? I really don't fancy washing in my own spend." 

Merlin wrinkled his nose and waved his hand, his eyes flashing gold. Arthur's breath caught. "Your eyes," he whispered hoarsely. 

"What about my eyes?"

"They turned gold."

"Really? That's pretty cool." Merlin sat up and looked for the soap and washrag. He found it and washed himself, then, instead of handing them to Arthur, washed Arthur. Arthur groaned at Merlin's hands all over him. When he was finished, Merlin gave him a peck on the lips, then stood and got out of the tub, and held out a hand to help Arthur out. Arthur took it, and got out of the tub. Merlin magicked them both dry and dressed. 

Merlin took a deep breath and turned to leave the tent. Arthur could feel Merlin's nervousness. Arthur caught Merlin's hand and turned him back around to be chest to chest with him. Then Arthur put his hands on either side of Merlin's face and kissed him for all he was worth. When he needed air, Arthur broke the kiss and looked at Merlin. Merlin was slightly dazed and out of breath. Arthur smirked when he saw it, and Merlin glared and then stomped out of the tent. Merlin's nervousness was gone. Mission accomplished. Arthur followed. 

The druids offered both boys a plate of food and a seat around the biggest fire, where all the druids seemed to congregate. Arthur has no idea what the food was, but he knew it was good. 

When they were done, Arthur asked, "So, what's this proposition?" 

Iseldir turned to both boys and said, "We want to teach you about magic and prophecies. But the two of you must stay together. So we propose that whenever the two of you come into the forest together, we can teach Emrys and Arthur together. You can stay for a night with us and learn something about the prophecies, and we can teach Emrys control over his magic." 

Arthur and Merlin looked at each other, but they seemed to be in agreement. Merlin said, "I am grateful to all of you. I would love to learn more about magic and spells. But I think I speak for both of us when I say we don't want to learn about the prophecy. We already know our main goal, and I think we don't need to know more than that. It seems like we would be asking for trouble." 

Arthur said, "However, I would like to know more about magic as well. I've known for years that when I become King, I want to repeal the ban on magic. I will need to know more so that I can do it in a way that still has dark magic outlawed, and I will need your help." A cheer went up around the camp. Merlin turned to Arthur and kissed him hard. Arthur could feel the joy coursing through Merlin. 

When the kiss broke, Arthur grinned at Merlin, then turned back to Iseldir, and became more serious. "There's also something else I want to know about. I want to know what exactly happened to my mother. All my father has ever told me is that magic killed her. I have a feeling it's not as simple as that." 

The grin faded from Iseldir's face. "We want to help you. But we cannot. We do not know the full story. We do not want to influence you on the matter one way or another, because it could have unintended consequences. We will look into it, for your sake. But please know that you might not like what you find."

Arthur took all this in and said, "Thank you. That is all that I can ask. But I think Merlin and I need to get some rest, because we have a long day tomorrow. We thank you for your hospitality."

Iseldir smiled. "Of course. We can help you find your way home in the morning." 

The next morning, as Merlin and Arthur left the druid camp behind, Merlin asked, "So how exactly do you plan to hide me in Camelot?" 

Arthur grinned and said, "Well. Your mother is sending you to Gaius, probably to apprentice under him. And you will be my manservant. My father won't object since I don't have one anyway." 

"Manservant?! What does a manservant even do?" 

Arthur laughed and started listing all the chores a manservant does, embellishing because of Merlin's increasing incredulity. Arthur thought the future looked very bright indeed.


End file.
